The Battle for Life
by WinterSky101's Old Stuff
Summary: The sequel to Greencough Attack! Jaypaw has been gravely wounded by Rowanclaw and is now on the edge of death. Will he survive? And what in the name of StarClan is Tigerstar planning in the Dark Forest? Read Greencough Attack first or this will make no sense whatsoever. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

**Yup! I'm finally posting this! Be happy, little fans of Greencough Attack!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, but I do own this plot-line!**

Lionpaw felt that he was always the bearer of bad news. First the greencough, now this! He wished Leafpool could tell Hollypaw, but she seemed incapable of speech. They had carefully brought Jaypaw back in the medicine cat den, then Leafpool had determined that Jaypaw was still alive. She had dressed his wounds in a daze, and no matter what Lionpaw did, she remained in shock. So now, Lionpaw was stuck with the task of telling his family and Firestar.

Of everyone, the cat that would probably be easiest to face would be Firestar. So Lionpaw went up to his leader's den and meowed, "Firestar?"

"Come in, Lionpaw," replied Firestar.

Lionpaw entered the den. He stood in the entrance, uncertain of where to begin.

"What is it, Lionpaw?" asked Firestar kindly.

"Well," Lionpaw meowed. "Rowanclaw attacked Jaypaw."

Firestar drew in a sharp breath. "Is Jaypaw dead?"

"Nearly," Lionpaw choked out. "He's covered in wounds, and many of them could end up being fatal."

Firestar nodded, looking appalled. "Well, I'll go visit Jaypaw, then I'll call a clan meeting. Everyone deserves to know this."

Lionpaw agreed, then left and went to the next easiest: his father, Brambleclaw. "Rowanclaw attacked Jaypaw," he meowed past the lump in his throat. "Jaypaw's alive, but only just. He's in the medicine cat den." Eyes wide, he ran with the speed of WindClan to see his son.

Last were Hollypaw and Squirrelflight. Lionpaw found them out of the camp, still looking for Jaypaw. He meowed, "I need to tell you something."

"What, Lionpaw?" Hollypaw asked.

"It's about Jaypaw."

Squirrelflight gasped. "You found him?"

Lionpaw nodded sadly. "Yes, we did. Rowanclaw attacked him. Come on, he's in the medicine cat den."

The two she-cats followed Lionpaw into the medicine cat den to see Jaypaw lying in his nest. Lionpaw's insides turned to ice. He already knew what happened to his brother and had seen him, but Jaypaw's wounds still chilled him to the bone. He wished dearly that he could get his claws into Rowanclaw for doing this to his brother. He would make the ShadowClan cat pay.

Lionpaw heard an odd, choking noise behind him. He looked and saw Squirrelflight crying silently. Brambleclaw's face showed he was probably harboring the same thoughts of revenge as Lionpaw. But Firestar, legendary leader of ThunderClan, was holding back _tears_.

Firestar saw Lionpaw looking at him. "I have see this too many times," he said in an unsteady voice. "But never have I seen it inflicted on such a young cat, one that is almost unable to fight back or defend himself." Firestar took a deep breath and composed himself. "I will go and alert the clan to this." Firestar walked out of the medicine cat den and bounded onto Halfrock and yowled, "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Halfrock for a clan meeting!"

Grumbling, cats left their dens to gather. Lionpaw stuck his golden head out of the den to see the meeting.

Firestar cleared his throat, then proclaimed "Our medicine cat apprentice Jaypaw was grievously wounded b a ShadowClan warrior named Rowanclaw. His injuries are severe and could prove to be fatal." The entire clan was silent. "Rowanclaw knew Jaypaw would be unable to fight him back, or even defend himself. He also purposefully tried to kill him. Rowanclaw has broken the Warrior Code. His clan is one of traitors."

"You're right, Firestar," replied a new voice. "It is." Lionpaw, along with every other cat, turned to the entrance to see Tawnypelt, mate of Rowanclaw, standing there.

Lionpaw's claws slid out. They gripped the ground as he tried not to pounce.

Brambleclaw padded past him. "Tawnypelt," he snarled softly. "You are not welcome here. Go away." He unsheathed his claws.

"Brambleclaw?" she meowed, scared. "Why are you going to attack me? I've left my clan!"

Firestar leapt down from Halfrock and went over to Tawnypelt. "Come into my den," he meowed. "can you come as well, Brambleclaw?"

Tawnypelt looked confused. "Why wouldn't he be able to?"

Lionpaw couldn't take it any more. He left the den and padded towards Tawnypelt. "Because your _mate_," he spat out, "attacked my brother. Jaypaw is on the edge of death in the medicine cat's den."

Tawnypelt drew in a sharp breath. "Oh, no. It's all my fault!" she gasped.

"What do you mean?" Lionpaw growled, claws still out.

"It's a long story..." Tawnypelt started, but Firestar cut her off.

"Come into my den with Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, and me, Lionpaw. Then you can hear the story." Lionpaw agreed with Firestar, and they all went to Firestar's den. The rest of the clan dispersed and went back to what they were doing. Lionpaw noticed that Cinderpaw immediately headed for the medicine cat den, as did Brightheart and Sandstorm. Sandstorm probably went to comfort Leafpool and Squirrelflight, seeing as she was their mother, and Brightheart probably went because Jaypaw has been her apprentice and perhaps she could help Leafpool with something. But Lionpaw couldn't fathom why Cinderpaw was going. She _was _friends with Hollypaw, but Lionpaw doubted that was the reason. A good friend was more likely to leave the other alone for a while, not follow them everywhere and nag. Cinderpaw's mother Sorreltail was a good friend of Leafpool, but that didn't shed any more light on the subject.

"Oh, well," Lionpaw thought. "Who understands she-cats anyway?" He forgot the feminine mysteries of Cinderpaw and instead went to his leader's den. Everyone else had already entered, so he stood in the entrance. That way, Tawnypelt wouldn't be able to leave without going through him. She was trapped.

"Well, Tawnypelt," Firestar proclaimed, whirling around. "Tell your story."

Tawnypelt looked around at her brother and Lionpaw. Lionpaw could see it in her eyes when she realized she was surrounded. She calmly sat down in the middle of Firestar's den and opened her mouth to begin to speak.

"Rowanclaw was my mate. I loved him, and he loved me. But he was jealous. He thought I loved my ThunderClan kin more than him. At the daytime Gathering, there were rumors flying around about Jaypaw having greencough once Breezepaw got back. I was worried and, like a mouse-brain, I voiced my worries to Rowanclaw. I know how bad greencough can be. I heard Littlecloud muttering something about how Jaypaw probably wouldn't survive." Lionpaw remembered with a chill how close his brother had come to dying from the terrible sickness, just like Littlecloud had predicted. Then an unwanted mental image of his brother in the pool of blood behind the medicine cat den came, and he remembered that Jaypaw was probably going to die anyway.

Tawnypelt continued "I told Rowanclaw I was worried. He asked why I was worried about at ThunderClan cat. I replied that Jaypaw was my kin, so of course I would be worried. Rowanclaw got mad. He told me he was going to make me stop worrying about my ThunderClan family. At first, I thought he was going to tell Blackstar. But a few sunrises later, he told our leader that he smelled ThunderClan scents over the border. He later told me that he grabbed leaves that had the scent markers on them and brought them over to the ShadowClan side of the border. Blackstar was furious. He prepared to fight you. I protested. Rowanclaw spun some lie about how it was because I didn't want to hurt ThunderClan cats, since some of them were my kin. He twisted it so it would sound like I was breaking the Warrior Code. Blackstar confined me to camp.

"When they all left to go attack you, I was alone in camp with a few warriors and Littlecloud. He came in to the warriors den where I was staying and told me to escape. He told me a secret way out of camp. I left and ran here, avoiding the returning ShadowClan battle party. Rowanclaw was in the back, and he looked oddly triumphant. I ran all the way here to your camp, mostly worried about you, Brambleclaw, but also you and your littermates, Lionpaw. And then, well, you know what happens next."

Lionpaw was still. This was why Jaypaw was hurt so badly. Rowanclaw had been aiming to kill him. Fear began to trickle like ice-melt down his spine. What if, while he was in Firestar's den, Jaypaw had died?

**Remember: I cannot kill off anyone because this is an alternative ending. When this finishes, I'm hoping to make it lead right up to the beginning of ****Dark River****.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my God I am so sorry this too so long! It's a short chapter too, which makes me feel bad, but I just didn't want to do this chapter at all. If anyone's still reading, I think the next update will be soonish. It definitely won't take two years like this one did.**

Hollypaw couldn't do anything but stare at her brother in the nest. His body looked so small. She remembered when they were kits and Jaypaw, Jaykit then, had fallen off the cliff. When he lay in the medicine cat den, his already-small body had looked tiny. Now it was the same. His normally undersized body looked like one of a kit in a nest. Most of the wounds still had cobwebs on them, although Leafpool was in the process of putting on marigold poultices.

"Can I help?" Hollypaw asked the medicine cat as she silently worked over her apprentice's still body. Leafpool shook her head, silent as a new warrior on their vigil. Cinderpaw pressed her flank against Hollypaw. Hollypaw wasn't quite sure why her friend was there, but she appreciated the support. Brightheart was looking in the stores, checking for the healing herbs that would be needed for Jaypaw. Sandstorm was attempting to comfort a sobbing Squirrelflight.

Lionpaw suddenly raced into the medicine cat den. "Is he still alive?" Lionpaw demanded to Hollypaw. Startled, she only nodded. "Thank StarClan," he breathed.

"Why so worried?" Cinderpaw asked. Lionpaw and Hollypaw both gave her a look. "Not what I meant. What I mean is why did you look like you expected him to be dead?"

"Because he's supposed to be," Lionpaw meowed.

"What?" Hollypaw shrieked. She was aware of Cinderpaw crying out the same thing next to her.

"No! That came out wrong! What I mean is that Rowanclaw meant to kill him."

Hollypaw felt ready to collapse. Cinderpaw's soft fur pressed against her friend's side. "Why?" the black cat asked weakly.

"He was jealous. Rowanclaw wants you, Brambleclaw, and me dead because he thinks Tawnypelt cares more for us than she does for him."

"But…but that's not true!" Hollypaw protested.

Her brother laughed without humor. "Do you think Rowanclaw cares? Hollypaw, he's bent on revenge if it kills him."

"But that's against the Warrior Code!"

"Hollypaw!" Lionpaw was annoyed now. "Rowanclaw is ready to kill! He doesn't care about the code!"

"Then you're in grave danger," Cinderpaw gasped. "You should…you should hide! All of you!" Lionpaw looked at Cinderpaw in disbelief.

"Hide?" he repeated incredulously. "_Hide?_ I'm not going to _hide_, Cinderpaw. I'm going to get Rowanclaw and make him pay for this."

"But that's against the-" Hollypaw started.

"I don't care about your precious Warrior Code!" Lionpaw yelled. "I care about my dying brother that Rowanclaw attacked!"

For the first time, Leafpool spoke from behind them. "Don't say that, Lionpaw."

"Don't say what?" he asked with a confused look on his face, turning around.

"Jaypaw is not dying. I will not allow it."

"Leafpool," Hollypaw meowed softly, forcing the words she didn't want to say out, "if StarClan wishes it…"

"They do not," the medicine cat interrupted. "I _will_ save my apprentice, Hollypaw. I…I must."

Hollypaw looked at Leafpool. "But if StarClan didn't will it, then how did it happen? Why didn't StarClan save Jaypaw?"

The entire den went silent. "Per-perhaps they were unable to," Leafpool suggested, her voice shaking. "They aren't supposed to interfere."

"I don't care why StarClan let it happen," Lionpaw hissed. "I don't care if there's some ulterior motive. I just want to make Rowanclaw pay. And there's nothing you can do to stop me. I'm going to kill him."

In the back of Hollypaw's mind, she found herself thinking, _Not if I get there first._

**Okay, showing Hollypaw's future murderous tendencies (see Ashfur for more details). I know this is short, but it was a good place to end it and if I made it longer, it would have taken even longer to update.**


	3. Discontinued

**Sorry, guys, but this is discontinued. Ever since the Warriors series ended, my muse has left me. The plan for this story was this, though, if you want to know:**

**Jaypaw was trapped in the Place of No Stars to fight against StarClan. His body was placed in a sort of stasis. Lionpaw went to the Place of No Stars in a dream and saw Jaypaw getting tortured by Tigerstar because he tried to refuse to fight with them. Lionpaw and Hollypaw tried to rescue their brother while he had to decide what was more important: his life and fulfilling the prophecy, or the thing he had believed in all his life.**

**Anyone can feel free to continue this, either using my plan or their own, but I will not be writing any more.**


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